Book Covers
by KingdomsFalling
Summary: Modern AU: All Cleo wants is to be successful after her family goes bankrupt but she finds college to be a lot harder than expected. Calling upon the help of a tutor named Magnus Damora, she spends a week studying with the infuriating man. As their time together grows, secrets of Magnus's past are revealed to Cleo. She wants to help, he wants to escape. Magnus/Cleo
1. Chapter 1

Idk what I'm writing :,D It kind of happened. Also I know this isn't in the agenda I had on my tumblr but those others works are well on their way.

/

Cleo rushed through the crowds the best she could to get to her new class. This wasn't a way to begin the new semester. It'd already been a rough morning and since the coffee shop took forever with her order she prayed she could make it to class in time.

She heard the professor closed the doors once it was time to begin and she didn't need to miss class for anything. Now that her family was going to through financial bankruptcy thanks to some big corporation called Limeros Co. and so putting her through college was rough. She wished now she had studied harder in high school so she could have gotten a scholarship but she didn't know her blessings till now. She refused to fail college and waste her father's money.

Cleo didn't notice someone had stepped in her path and with a hard impact she felt her coffee falling from her grip and onto the force of her decent. She heard a muttering of curses and looked up at the person.

He was sort of handsome, with dark hair that fell around him touching his shoulders and dark eyes. He wore a pair of glasses, a heavy coat and scarf. Oh and he was tall, **very tall. **

Cleo's cheeks felt heated, this boy she had soaked with her coffee seemed in a rush too and his morning had turned sour with her actions.

"I'm sorry!" She exclaimed, standing up wanting to help him.

"It's fine.." he muttered, quickly. The air was brisk so Cleo was sure having made his coat wet wasn't comfortable though it wasn't nearly cold enough to wear such a heavy garment. The boy was good looking but the thick glasses and coat took a lot away. She assumed he was in his early twenties. Cleo was just hitting twenty one after putting off college for a while till her father basically ordered her to do it and then tragedy struck with her sister's death and bankruptcy and not to mention Theon.

Her heart ached at the thought of him. Her beloved Theon, the only boy she loved from high school. He had been a senior when she was a sophomore and they shared a deep relationship until Theon joined the military and was stationed in Afghanistan. Before leaving he proposed to Cleo, saying once he came back they'd be married but two weeks before he came home his truck hit a bomb on the road. There wasn't even anything to bury.

Now the first day of making something of herself had began with pouring coffee on a mildly attractive boy and he seemed very pissed off about it.

He briskly walked past her very annoyed and Cleo curled her lip up in disgust at his rudeness, but she continued on to class praying she'd make it now.

After a few weeks she had an assignment, she needed to write an essay on the battle of Trenton, history had always been weak for her and majoring as an engineer for some reason meant she had to take the class and she was very ill about it. But there were tutors that could help her write it and find her sources so she went to the place she had been directed in and walked inside a small room in the library.

Magnus Damora was the tutor she had learned, she had heard he was very cold but smart so she hoped he could help her. She walked in and was surprised to find such an appealing tutor, at least from the back. Dark hair tied in a pony tail to keep it out of his face, and in this shirt she could see sculpted muscles outlined against the fabric.

"Are you going to stand there all night?"

That harsh voice!

She nearly ran over and saw that same face but now without the heavy coat ad glasses she could see he was not just a little handsome. Oh boy he was attractive. His jaw line was carved well in his face, his eyes were piercing and alluring now that they weren't dulled by the glasses. His muscles were indeed defined to a fantasy though his shirt was tight but refused to show anything below his neck. He took the glasses and placed them back on his face and going back to his word document.

"You!" Cleo exclaimed. "You're the one I poured coffee on."

"Indeed, that was a very stubborn stain, now if you don't mind I would like to get home some time tonight so sit down." He said, curtly making Cleo appalled to his rudeness. She plopped down with a huff and pulled out her laptop and pulled up a word document. "Now, what format is your essay supposed to be in?"

"Beats me." Cleo shrugged.

"Well I had hoped you'd know, but luckily for you my sister told me she's in the same class as you and it's in a MLA style." Magnus said, sighing pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Your sister?" Cleo asked.

"Lucia Damora…" Magnus answered. "I believe you sit by each other, she likes you immensely though I fail to see the appeal."

"Oh yeah!" Cleo exclaimed, but then registered the insult. "If you're going to insult me all night maybe I should find business elsewhere."

"Fine by me, the only reason I tutor is for money but I usually can get by on helping high school students, their parents pay better anyway." Magnus sighed, running his fingers through his hair letting it fall from the tie. Cleo noted it was very silky.

Cleo huffed. "Why'd you accept me then?"

Magnus looked away. For the first time all night, he seemed unsure of what to say. "Lucia told me I should, seems you're hopeless and she begged me to do it."

"Such devotion for your sister." Cleo commented, sighing placing her hand on her hand. "Look, let's move past that I'm a complete airhead and finish this assignment."

Magnus began to work with her, finding reliable sources for the paper and showing her the correct way to cite them. She of course kept complaining saying the citations were pointless and useless to the paper. Magnus bit back his smart ass remarks and continued to help her.

He couldn't help but admire her. Her beautiful hair was kept behind her in a fishtail braid, the natural pale highlights twisting and turning in patterns and eyes that held a luminance of strength. Of course he knew she was the heir to Bellos Corporation, not that it mattered. They were ruined but her lifestyle had been completely different until now. Magnus tried not to feel sorry for her knowing he wouldn't want her to feel pity for him.

She bit one of her lips and pushed back a piece of hair that fallen from the tie and began to rub her temples in frustration. "Such boring subjects…"

"Actually the battle of Trenton is very interesting.." Magnus spoke, her eyes going to him. "You see the enlistments were going to run out and the Continental Army would have diminished greatly once it was over and so Washington had to take a gamble."

"A gamble?" Cleo asked, suddenly interested.

"Yes, to advance on Trenton on Christmas day where Hessians were, some of the greatest soldiers in the world. They were all well into their drinks thinking the rebels taken care of and decided to celebrate the holiday. The Americans won and brought a new hope to their cause, without it we likely wouldn't be sitting here underneath a flag of stars and stripes." A certain light had taken to Magnus's eyes as he told the story.

"Can I just use you for my citation?" Cleo asked, with a giggle.

Magnus finally allowed a small smile to grace his features. He became so much more handsome as those stone cold features melted away and that tiny grin brought a hint of light to his face. Cleo couldn't help but return the expression.

"This is a good stopping point." Magnus said, sighing. "You've saved your sources? I suggest you print them off just in case you lose them. Good night, Cleo."

He stood up and pulled back on that heavy coat and scarf, he took the glasses and tucked them into his pocket and let his hair fall loose. Cleo sighed with a dist of pink across her cheeks, he was infuriating.

Such a cold goodbye, but she didn't care. There wasn't time to like people. She had to become successful and bring glory back to the Bellos family name.

/

Magnus entered his apartment with a sigh removing his coat and scarf, discarding them on a chair and collapsed on the couch. Placing his hand over his eyes, Lucia was likely in the math lab finishing her homework.

He checked his phone and groaned seeing a missed call from his mother. He pressed the return call and pressed the speaker to his ear.

"_Hello?" _

"Hey…you called?" Magnus asked.

"_I wanted to warn you. Your father is well into his drinks and left in his limo, so he might show up at your house. Is Lucia there?" _

"No.." Magnus's voice devoid of annoyance, just simple worry.

"_Good…" Althea said. "Keep her out for a little while longer." _

"Okay…" Magnus ran his hand through his hair wondering how he'd do that.

"_I'm sorry, Magnus…he's just-" _

"It's alright mother, I took this wrath upon myself." Magnus answered. He waited a bit, he could her sniffling as she had been crying. "I love you.."

_A little noise of happiness could be heard on the line. "And I love you, my son." _

They said their goodbyes and Magnus ended the call. He had finished his homework so all there was to do was figure out a way to keep Lucia out of the house for a little while longer. No doubt Gaius was halfway there and Lucia didn't need to see him scream at Magnus.

He scrolled through his phone but the only friend of Lucia's he knew of was…Cleo Bellos. He groaned but composed a message to her.

_Can you keep Lucia busy for a while? Till like eleven?_

He sent it, hoping Cleo wouldn't think of it but of course she'll have questions. He'd tell her he had a surprise for Lucia. That was a good enough lie.

She answered, _Okay…yeah sure. :/_

Magnus sighed in relief.

A harsh knock could be heard at his door and he stiffened. "Magnus…get you're damn ass out here."

Magnus stood up and opened the door, he'd rather answer it than Gaius break it down. His father stood, his business suit unkempt, an uncommon occurrence unless he was drunk.

"Father.." Magnus said, curtly. "What do you need?"

"Look at this dump." Gaius pushed past Magnus and looking around the room.

Magnus had a room much larger than this in the Damora Estate, three times its size with everything kids imagined in a wealthy lifestyle. The heir to a large corporation meant a façade of a lavish life style though it was far from it.

"You allow your sister to stay here with you?" Gaius asked, pointing around. "So cramped.."

"It's an apartment." Magnus said, annoyed. "I can't just buy a mansion to live in while I'm here for four years."

"And then what?" Gaius began to laugh. "With your little English teacher major you'll buy a cottage and live out your days there?"

"I'll be content with what I have." Magnus said, firmly.

"Well, you could have more. Come back to the company, Magnus." Gaius said, a sly smirk showing on his face. "You're my boy, my heir. You were doing so well, you are the only one I can trust to take it over once I'm gone. You're the only once ruthless enough."

"I'm not like you!" Magnus snapped. "I don't want to run people's lives into the ground for my own selfish desire!"

Gaius's face hardened and he seemed to consider his son's outburst while taking slow steps toward him, his eyes darkening with every second. Magnus was tall but Gaius was a giant, the boy was strong but his father even more so.

"Well Magnus…isn't that unfortunate...?" He chuckled a little before reeling back and slamming his fist into Magnus's jaw. The boy's head snapped aside and he fell.

Gaius came down and straddled him, beginning to beat him mercilessly. Magnus tried to push the bear of a man off but the assault continued to fall upon him. Gaius got up and began to kick him, one impacting his diaphragm causing a pained gasp to pass Magnus's lips and the blood gathering in his mouth to splatter on the floor.

Magnus's world was flickering around him as Gaius rose above him. He seemed to be realizing he had just beaten his son to pulp and quickly fled leaving Magnus barely conscious.

He couldn't stay here like this; he had to make sure Lucia didn't know. He held himself up on the wall, making her no blood smeared on it. A little did, but he moved the book case in front it to hide it. He went to the bathroom and removed his shirt; more bruises now littered his body. He slammed his fist down on the sink, he had been able to hide them with clothes but now some were on his neck and face.

He weakly went back to the living room and tried to clean up the blood but a little red still stained their white tile floor. He heard a knock and saw it was eleven o' clock and could heard Lucia and Cleo talking outside the door. He pulled the rug over top of his and went to the door.

"Come in, Lucia!" He called, and fled to the back.

Lucia entered with Cleo, the two girls sitting down on the couch. Magnus quickly took some of Lucia's foundation; they had the same skin tone and applied it over the bruise on his face. He looked devoid of injury once he put back on his coat and scarf. They'd think it foolish of him but better that than the other.

He returned and saw Lucia giggling while Cleo kept her upright, her face was flush and words slurring.

"You took her out for drinks?" Magnus asked, crossing his arms.

"You said keep her occupied." Cleo said, curtly.

"Hey, Magnus!" Lucia called, she went and hugged her brother. "Why are you wearing that stupid coat?" She laughed a little more, but Magnus pulled her off him gently. "You're gonna burn up!"

"Thank you, Cleo." Magnus said, quickly. He guided Lucia into her room and she collapsed on her bed and within minutes was passed out. He let out a sigh, he didn't have to deal with a drunk Lucia that often but when he did she usually didn't keep quiet that easily.

"Why'd you need me to do that?" Cleo asked as Magnus entered the living room.

"I…cleaned up the apartment to surprise, Lucia. Not that she cares now but either way she'll appreciate it in the morning if her hangover isn't too bad." Magnus hunched his shoulders, feeling sweat beginning to drip on his forehead. Why did it have to be so damn hot in there?

"Let's have a few beers." Cleo laughed. "I didn't have a drop since someone had to drive us back here."

To get out of this heat, Magnus would agree to this. "Sure."

They stepped out on the porch part of the apartment and Cleo handed Magnus a beer, popping her own top off. "You just decided to clean up?"

"Lucia has been pestering me about it." Magnus lied quickly.

"You're sweating.." Cleo commented.

"I noticed." Magnus retorted, it wasn't because of the heat now. He could feel anxiety of Cleo's finding the bruises rising in his chest. Cleo could find out! If she found out then Lucia would too.

"Take off the coat then." Cleo said, opening her palm showing her confusion in a hand gesture.

"I'm perfectly comfortable." Magnus stated.

Cleo rolled her eyes and took a swig of her drink. "Whatever…I'm going to head home."

She began to move forward but her foot caught on a loose board and she fell forward making her beer pour out onto Magnus. She blushed realizing this was the second time she had poured something all over him. Her face reddened even more when she realized they had both fallen over and she was laying on top of him.

"Sorry, Mag-hey!"

Make-up was sliding off his face from the spilled drink, showing a dark purple bruise on his cheek that was forming. He'd been given it recently. His jacket had opened on the fall and showed the marks along his neck and collarbone.

"What the hell happened?" Cleo exclaimed, running her fingers gently along his chest but he gripped her hand tightly. Cleo shuddered seeing a anger take hold in his eyes.

"Get off me."

"What happened?" Cleo asked again.

"Just get the hell off me!" Magnus snarled.

Cleo huffed and stood up, reaching to help her tutor up but he refused the hand and arose on his own. "Why were you hiding this from me and Lucia?"

"I suggest you leave." Magnus spoke sharply, turning and gripping the railings so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"Tell me the truth!" Cleo shouted.

"Just go away!" Magnus snapped, retreating into his apartment and slamming the door.

Cleo crossed her arms and went down the stairs. Someone had beaten Magnus and he obviously hadn't wanted Lucia or Cleo to find out.

The girl huffed. Why did she care? If Magnus was too stubborn to get treatment when some jerks jumped him then why should she worry? Because she had seen how horrified Magnus had been for her to see the results of the assault.

Something was wrong and Cleo wasn't about to let someone be abused, no matter how much of an asshole they might be.


	2. Chapter 2

"Cleo…Cleo…Cleo!"

Cleo was brought from her thoughts by a nudging from Lucia. Everyone was clearing out of the classroom and Cleo had been lost in images of Magnus's dark bruises. Lucia had no idea someone had beaten her brother which makes Cleo think there was something more to it than someone jumping him. He'd have told her if he'd have been attacked randomly. There was something deeper to the marks.

"Lucia?" Cleo asked, getting up from her seat. "Does Magnus have any enemies?"

"Enemies?" Lucia asked, tapping her chin. "Well, a lot of people don't particularly care for him. That is mostly because they think he is snobby."

"Well, he kind of is." Cleo commented.

Lucia chuckled. "Magnus just is not very social."

"Why doesn't Magnus try and make friends?" Cleo asked.

"Well, our father has always kept a close eye on us and he never approved of who Magnus hung out with in high school. He often scared them away. Magnus was his heir to his company until Magnus told him he was going to become a teacher." Lucia explained as they exited to room.

"Why would he give up all that power for such a low paying job?" Cleo asked.

"I do not know." Lucia answered honestly. "I've asked and Magnus always changes the subject. Magnus used to get into arguments with our father, my mother would always take me out to eat when they started to get really bad. I've always been suspicious of exactly what happened during that. Magnus never speaks to me after them and avoids me at all costs for a few days."

"What did Magnus say to you last night?" Cleo asked.

"I was dead drunk." Lucia sighed. "I can't remember anything past leaving the bar."

"Alright." Cleo said, looking down at her watch. "I have to meet him for our-" Her phone went off and looked down to see a text from Magnus.

_Can't do it today. _

Cleo furrowed her brows, the essay was due in two days she needed Magnus to help her **today. **

_That's bullshit. I need your help today. _

She waited for a little while and got no reply from him.

_Look, I won't ask about last night. Just help me with the essay today and tomorrow and I won't bother you again._

Waiting for a little while longer and saying goodbye to Lucia. She huffed and walked down the sidewalk but felt her phone vibrate. She looked down to see a text message.

_Fine. Hurry here. _

"Such an asshole-Woah!" She exclaimed, running straight into the oncoming person while looking at her phone. They collided and she fell back up a hand caught her before she hit the ground. It smoothly wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her up. She was met with a handsome face. He had unruly curly brown hair, bright eyes, and a charming smile.

"Careful there, princess." He chuckled. "We wouldn't want to scuff up anything on your pretty little head."

"Alright, you can let go of me." Cleo groaned, pulling herself from his grasp and setting back down the sidewalk. But he continued to walk with her.

"No thank you for your hero?" He asked, faking a pout.

"Fine, thank you for preventing me from falling. Now will you leave?" She rolled her eyes and kept on towards her destination.

"Not until I know the name of the lovely lady I saved and if possible her phone number." He said, keeping his hand tucked into a leather jacket and giving her a wink.

"If it will leave you alone my name is Cleo Bellos and my number is out of the question." Cleo said. "Don't you have a class to get to?"

"I'm not in college." He said. "My name is Jonas Agallon, currently unemployed thanks to Lagaris Co."

"Aron Lagaris's company?" Cleo asked.

"Yeah, my dad ran a wine shop but we had to close because we invested in Lagaris Co. and lost almost all of our money." Jonas said. "Me and my brother went and confronted Mr. High and Mighty Himself but when things started turning violent Aron stabbed my brother. The cops ruled it as self defense but I know Aron bought their loyalty. My brother was unarmed."

"I'm so sorry…" She said, quietly. "My dad's company went bankrupt recently too." Cleo confessed. "He the CEO of the Bellos Company when some organization named Limeros Co. made us go bankrupt as well."

"Lagaris Co. and Limeros Co. both work together." Jonas said. "We have a common enemy."

"You act as if you're planning a war." Cleo commented.

"Perhaps.." Jonas murmured. "They both need to pay for what they've done to me and the other families. When they brought down my father's shop and many others in the area I live so many people were laid off. Now they have to work at either Lagaris Co. or Limeros Co.'s horrible factories for a meager pay just to feed their families."

"We can't make them pay." Cleo said. "They won. That's how things go. My father was a kind man and they are ruthless. That is why there are where they are at. You can't fight them."

"You can always fight against injustice. We just need proof against them." Jonas said. "Go on, princess. I see you're headed somewhere. Here…" He handed her a piece of paper. "Just in case you change your mind about fighting give me a call." She opened it and saw it had his number on it.

He gave her a wink before turning away, lighting a cigarette as he walked and pulling on his hood. She gave a slight sigh. There was a defined difference between him and Magnus. While Jonas enjoyed the façade of a bad boy, Cleo could see he had a heart of a hero and no leather jacket and cigarettes were going to change that. Magnus had such sharpness to him, as if she might cut herself if she touched him. There was no mystery to Jonas but Magnus remained an enigma. Perhaps that was why Cleo didn't think much of the piece of paper in her hand but she still kept it.

She arrived at the library and found Magnus in a back room. His jacket and scarf removed with a loose fitting shirt. She could see the damage clearly now. The bruises and cuts shown against his pale skin like a coal amongst diamonds. Cleo knew she had to resist asking but her curiosity was nearly overcoming her reasoning.

"Is it too much to ask we get started?" Magnus sighed, pulling his glasses from his face.

"Good to see you too." Cleo scoffed and plopped down next to him. "What are we doing today?"

"Use your sources to write your paper. If you have any questions about grammar or the structure of the essay ask me." Magnus said. "But this is your paper and I cannot write it for you."

Cleo nodded and set to work writing this insufferable paper about history that she felt didn't even apply to her degree though she didn't even want to pursue it. She had written the out the thesis statement and about three sentences before she glanced over at Magnus. He was doing his own work, something from a class about mythology. She noticed something she hadn't seen before. There was a long scar that reached from his ear to his mouth. How she had missed that she didn't know. Perhaps she was in shock from his rudeness. Magnus hadn't wanted her to ask about the bruises. Didn't mean she couldn't ask about that.

"What happened to your cheek?" Cleo asked.

"I said if you had questions about grammar or structure, not about me." Magnus said, impatiently tapping his pencil against the table.

"I'm not going to write anything unless you get my mind off the question at hand." Cleo said. "So I ask again, what happened?"

"You were obviously raised very differently from me." Magnus groaned. "Have you been able to be this blunt your entire life?"

"Yes and I do not intend to change." Cleo gave a slight taunting smile. "I'll pester you till I get an answer. Hey, I pay you by the hour but I doubt you want to sit here that long."

"Fine, if it will shut you up." Magnus groaned. "I was at a store with my father, a hunting store. My father has a fondness for it. While there I saw a pocket knife that I really liked, it had my initials. I didn't have anything really nice so I hoped father would buy it. He refused saying if I needed a knife I could get one less pretty. I got angry and when no one was looking I hid it in my shirt and stole it. Father found it in one of my drawers and his fury came down on me. He took the knife and cut me with it, deep enough to cause this scar."

Cleo was left speechless. "And your mother-?"

"She bandaged me and soothed me. She did what she could." Magnus really did not want Cleo attacking his mother. She wouldn't understand the position Althea was in.

"What about Lucia?" Cleo asked.

"She was a baby at the time." Magnus sighed. "I answered your question now get back to work."

Cleo did not ask another personal question that day but new ideas swarmed through her head. Her assumptions that this had been either done by other students or common thugs swept away. Magnus's father, this unknown man to her had suddenly become a dark villain to her imagination. Someone who'd mark their child for the rest of their life obviously did not deserve fatherhood. Cleo had stolen a necklace from a store but Corvin did not scar her for it.

Soon Cleo was finished with her paper and Magnus's services were no longer required. Their goodbyes were surprisingly normal, devoid of sarcastic remarks or snide comments. Cleo saw Magnus differently now.

Magnus had noticed it too and he did not like it. He now wished he had not shared that story with her because he could feel the pity radiating off her. She likely assumed the truth as to who beat him the night before. He cursed himself for his honesty. So many times he had told a different story. A dog had bit him, a criminal, a glass shard, but the truth had poured from him and he could not stop it. He did know why but it felt somewhat better to finally tell that story. But he still did not want her pity.

/

"Magnus!" Lucia called, walking into his room where he was watching T.V. "Come on, get dressed!"

"For what?" Magnus groaned.

She snapped down the television and smiled brightly. "A party! haven't been to one since you were a freshman."

"I'll pass." Magnus said coldly reaching for the remote but Lucia snatched it up.

"Magnus Lukas Damora, get your ass out of bed and socialize." Lucia commanded making Magnus lose him composure and laugh loudly.

"Fine Lucia…since you asked _**so **_nicely."

/

Cleo looked down at her cell phone and saw a message from Lucia.

_You coming to the party? :D _

Cleo quickly replied saying she was. She hadn't attended a single party yet and she was quite proud of that. She had been a frequent visitor to many parties and her resistance to them had surprised herself. She entered it wearing a white dress with gold jewelry, her hair done in curls and make-up light and natural. She caught many people's eyes as she entered. It was one of first times since the fall of her family she felt powerful.

Someone stepped beside her and she wasn't too surprised to see Jonas Agallon walking along with her. "Hello princess.." He gave a wink making her roll her eyes but smile. "Good to see you here."

"You're not even in this college, why are you here?" Cleo asked.

"What I can't party even though I'm not as smart as you?" He chuckled. "I'll talk with you later princess. I hear a cold one calling my name."

Cleo laughed as he disappeared flirting with many girls as he passed. She herself began looking for Lucia who she soon saw waving her hand to get her attention but who was beside her was a surprise. Magnus stood here, wearing a button up and shorts that covered his bruises except for the one on his face. But Lucia believed Magnus's story when he told her he had been hit by a door.

He looked very handsome though the light colors he wore seemed out of place on him.

"Hi Lucia!" Cleo exclaimed. "Good to see you out and about, Magnus."

"I was forced." He said giving Lucia a miserable look who dismissed it.

Cleo and Lucia began to talk so Magnus went to the couch and began indulging in a beer. He tapped his foot against the floor and clenched the bottle tightly. He hated this so much. There were so many people here. He felt trapped. He felt like he was going to do something wrong. He just wanted to go home to the security of solitude.

He noticed someone had sat down next to him. He looked over and saw an extremely beautiful girl. She had silky raven hair and dark flawless skin. She wore a tiny little black dress with extremely high heels though she still didn't match Magnus's height.

"What boring party.." She said. "Don't you agree?"

"Completely." Magnus said honestly, taking another swig of his beer. He had a hopeful thought that maybe if he dead drunk the frightful feeling in his chest would go away.

"I'm Amara Cortas." She said. "And your name?"

"Magnus Damora."

Cleo looked over and saw Magnus was talking with a very lovely woman. She felt a pang of jealousy but brushed it away. She didn't care if Magnus talked to other girls. Cleo didn't care what Magnus did at all!

_Right?_

"Look who it is!" Someone yelled, his stare intent on Magnus. "Prince Damora himself."

Cleo was confused but Lucia's face hardened and Magnus has a sudden exasperated look on his face. Amara stepped away as the person who was confronting Magnus walked to closer to him. The person who shouted was a big man, shorter than Magnus but a lot rougher. Magnus stood up to meet his eyes.

"Ivan, stop." Jonas said, bursting through the crowd. "This isn't how we should go about it."

"What do you mean?" Ivan said. "This is Gaius's brat! The son of the man who helped ruin all of our families' lives."

Cleo's eyes widened in shock and she felt very dumb all of a sudden. The CEO of Limeros Co. was Gaius Damora and Magnus and Lucia were his children. How she had not put it together she did not know. Perhaps she simply didn't want to know and hid to truth from herself.

"Whatever qualms you have with my father I ask you leave me and my sister out of it." Magnus said. Lucia stood behind him, an angry look on her face but her hands were slightly shaking. Magnus would do everything to protect her but this is exactly why he didn't come to parties.

"We don't care about Gaius's adopted girl." Ivan snapped. "You're his eldest, his heir.."

"I do not accept my inheritance." Magnus retorted.

"You say that." Ivan chuckled. "But when all that money and power is laid at your feet you'll take it. You're just like him."

"I am not him."

"I don't believe you." Ivan gave a hard push against Magnus's chest making him stumble back. "I can see the very same monster in you as there is in Gaius."

"You think you're so wise!" Magnus suddenly snapped and pushed Ivan and gripped his collar. Ivan tried to fight back but Magnus cracked his fist against his nose. "You know nothing.." He hissed and dropped him, before storming from the party and as quickly back to his apartment as he could. Ivan went to follow and fight him but Jonas held him back.

"Not like this.." Jonas hissed in his ear.

Cleo was left dumbfounded but soon found that her feet following after him despite what her mind told her. This was Magnus Damora, the son of the man who had ruined her family's life. Why should she go and help him?

But her heart still commanded her movements as she followed his sprinting figure down the sidewalk.


End file.
